Family Home Evening Ideas

This issue contains articles and activities that could be used for family home evening. The following are some examples.

“Natural Disasters—We Don’t Have to Be Afraid,” page 30: Read the article beforehand and prayerfully ponder what your family can do to better prepare for natural disasters in your area. Then, as Elder Ellis suggests, utilize family home evening to put your plan into action. You may decide to put together emergency packs, replenish your home food storage, or discuss how to be spiritually prepared. Emphasize Elder Ellis’s reassuring message that “when we are prepared, we can weather any storm.”

“Keeping the Faith in a World of Confusion,” page 42: Consider sharing Bishop Caussé’s classroom experience found at the beginning of the article. Then ask family members what they would have done in that situation. You may want to review the principles Bishop Caussé follows to remain firm in his testimony.

“How Do I Know When I Am Forgiven?” page 46: Start by asking family members, “After you have repented, how can you know when you have been forgiven?” You can then read Elder Callister’s response in the second paragraph of the article. Share additional sections of the article appropriate for your family.

“Learning to Serve Others,” page 66: Read the story about President Monson’s childhood to your family. You then might want to do the corresponding activities with any young children in the family. Close by bearing your testimony that Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet.

A Picture-Perfect Family Home Evening

I had always dreamed of having family home evenings like the ones I saw in Church pictures. But after my husband and I adopted a beautiful little girl, she did not want to join in. So we realized we had to make some changes in our family home evenings to reach her.

How grateful I am for the family home evening ideas published in the Liahona. Now our daughter is the first to want to hold family home evening and wishes we held it every day.

One of our favorite lessons was about how the Holy Ghost can guide us. We asked our daughter to go into her room. After we counted to three, she could return to the living room and try to find a picture of the Savior. When she was close, we said that she was warm, and when she was far away, we said that she was cold. She was so excited when she found the picture. It was marvelous seeing her understand the importance of being obedient and following the Spirit in order to be close to our Savior.

We concluded by reading Doctrine and Covenants 11:12. By placing our “trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good,” we have found family home evening to be a blessing.

Moema Lima Salles Broedel, Brazil